Warm Audio WA12 Microphone Preamp

The Warm Audio WA12 is based on the Classic 312 style preamp and uses unique component choices that give it a very warm, exciting, opulent tone. The WA12 uses more unique and expensive component choices than many pricier models. You will be hard pressed to find anything as good under $1,000, and many will enjoy it more than $2,000+ pieces. All component choices have been carefully selected and some even customized. Everything passes the golden ear test.

Warm Audio WA12: A Classic 312-Style Preamp

3 years ago Warm Audio set out to create a top-notch preamp every musician could afford. Not just a fancy chassis or shiny tubes but something that would actually sound great, something that would transform average mics and instruments into world-class tone. Warm Audio has built gear for high-end studios for years-cutting corners for this project was not an option. The WA12 is designed at the quality level of everything else they have built. It's truly exceptional. The WA12 holds its ground next to pres 4-5 times its price.

Is this possible? Yes. A bold claim? Absolutely. A lie? Nope. Warm Audio has created an industry-changing piece of gear. Say goodbye to the $1,000 glass ceiling and say hello to the WA12: The first fully-professional, transformer-balanced mic pre, with the beautiful character and mojo of some of the greatest classics.

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"Great Buy!"

Sound:
I would characterize the sound of this preamp as warm and clear. Not necessarily clean/transparent. Adds color and character. Simply use the tone button in or out to your liking. I like to engage the tone button, then the pad button, and then push the gain knob pretty hot.
Feature:
To me the most useful features are the simultaneous dual outputs and the tone button.
Ease of Use:
Super easy to get a great sound from with this preamp. Like I said before, it lacks features but that's part of the beauty. It's so simple and there's nothing to overthink when you're trying to track. Has all the standard connections you would expect from a preamp that allows you to integrate with your existing recording setup.
Quality:
From what I can tell, unit is very well made and doesn't feel cheap. Heavy metal casing and great attention to detail. Knobs and buttons don't feel like they're going to break on you after a few uses.
Value:
This preamp is definitely worth it's selling price.
Manufacturer Support:
Had the pleasure of talking with the owner. Gave great advise on picking out this piece and seems very down to earth. Quick response times. Very easy to reach.
The Wow Factor:
Simplicity with great sound is the wow factor for me.
Overall:
Love this preamp. I pair with a Neumann TLM103 a lot of the time and I haven't been able to make sources sound bad. I almost always use the tone function. I have a set of Focurite ISA828 pre's and they're are my pristine clean pre's. I use this a ton on vocals, guitar, and kick/snare. I'm taking stars off of features, simply because it doesn't have a lot of the things you're other preamp/channel strip type pre's have. Doesn't have metering (LED or VU), compression, EQ, bass rolloff, nor does it have a trim for the gain. However, at this price point these are not really strong complaints. Just some things for people to consider. One feature I DO LOVE, is the ability to run both outputs at the same time. This allows me to run one raw signal to my DAW and the other output signal through a piece of outboard gear such as a compressor or verb/delay fx that I need to print when ever I'm on the road recording an artist/band. Overall this is a great investment at this price point. Pretty hard to beat considering it's made with the American made Cinemag transformers. Great sound when pushed a little with certain instruments/sources. One important detail, the gain know is stepped into increments. Small thing to worry about, but I know someone will want to know about it.

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"Get this preamp!"

Overall:
This thing sounds much, much more expensive than it is. The highs are ultra smooth with a rich punchy midrange and an overall "warm" but still detailed sound. Can't say enough good things about what this unit will do for your recordings. Blows away tube and solid state preamps costing twice as much and more. I had an issue with mine after much heavy use and the owner of the company (Bryce Young) dealt with me directly and shipped out a replacement unit promptly. You seriously cannot go wrong with the wa12!

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